We started off the day with a tour of Jaipur. Jaipur is known as the “Pink City” because in the old part of town all the building are painted the same pink terra cotta color. When India gained independence from Great Britain the maharajahs lost all political power and began to get taxed by the state. To survive, many of them turned their palaces into museums, hotels and places to hold events such as weddings. That produced revenue to allow them to hang on to their opulent palaces.
Back to the hotel for lunch. After lunch we took an optional tour to visit shops with jewelry and handcrafts. There were beautiful things for sale but in such cases one must resist the pressure to buy.
In the evening everything went over-the-top. There was a party for us that pulled out all the stops. There were dancers to greet us, there were camels, elephants and fireworks. The walkways were decorated with flower petals. Before dinner there was an elephant polo match. Three elephants on each side and one giant elephant for the referee. Guests got to ride the elephants and handle the polo mallets, sitting behind the elephant handler. A guest was the referee. Three games were played with the participants switching for each game. I rode in the third and last game. My competitive spirits surfaced and I scored two goals including the winner for our team.
The food and drink were generous and varied. It was a great party in every respect.
The “facade” in Jaipur (the Pink City). The tiny and obstructed windows were constructed so that the women of the royal family could watch parades and festivities without exposing their faces.
The sidewalk decorated with flower petals.
Camels dressed for the occasion.
Elephant polo.
The Hotel Rambagh at night.